Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

     It has been just over a year since I had my first, and most extensive shoulder surgery.  It has taken me this long to actually be able to watch videos that shows the type of surgery I had.

     If you have the stomach to watch these all the way through, you will understand why recovery takes so long and maybe why it may never be the same again.   Would I have it done again?  Not unless the shoulder gets a whole lot worse than it is now.  I've got to say that if I measure the ability to fully use the shoulder and the strength that I had, on a scale of 1-10, I would say that prior to the surgery I was at about a 6.  Now, after rehab and manipulation surgery, I am about a 4.   So - if I consider the pain involved, prior to surgery I was at about a 2-3, depending on activities.  After surgery, at about a 6-7; again depending on activities.

     I was told that the pain would increase and my strength would weaken if I did not have the surgery.  That being said, I guess surgery sounded like the right decision.  At my age, if I would have known what the post op results would have been, I would not have done it.

     Learning to live and deal with the pain and weakness is understandable when you have no choice.  I don't believe surgery was the right choice for me.

     These two videos show a couple of the procedures that I had done in the original surgery.